


Clearer Than Water

by TheClownsLaugh



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, But Mostly Water, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-17
Updated: 2019-04-17
Packaged: 2020-01-15 14:00:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18500455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheClownsLaugh/pseuds/TheClownsLaugh
Summary: The Clowns meet up at Helter Skelter soon after the end of the Clown raid on CCG. Uta likes pranks and Donato is tired.





	Clearer Than Water

**Author's Note:**

> Old work from August 2018 that I found in my files recently. I hope you enjoy!

“Dona-san,” called Uta, “your son is here.”

Donato raised his head from his crossed hands. He eyed Uta, trying to determine if he was lying or not. He most probably was. What would Koutarou be doing in a bar such as the Helter Skelter? The ice of his eyes turned to blood and Uta smiled.

“I wouldn't lie to you, and you know it.”

But Donato knew it was a lie. He put his rosary back into his pocket and took the glass of blood-wine Itori had poured for him. He sipped from it but immediately put it back on the table. He sighed. He was too old for this.

“Ooh, even Donato is here!” exclaimed Roma as she entered the backroom.

Whenever the Clowns met, they never did so in the main room. Some of them were too easily recognizable, and you never know who is listening. If Koutarou was indeed there, that's were he would be. Donato had no intention of going out of the backroom. Roma jumped on him, crossing her arms around his neck.

“Aaaah, I missed you so much!”

He patted her on the head. “You saw me almost every day in Cochlea.”

“Took you some time to escape,” she complained as she started to pout. He could see the fire in her eyes and his grin accentuated.

“What do you want, Roma?”

“I just want to have some fun. Can I finish your drink?”

“Come on, Roma,” said Nico. “aren't you too young for that?”

“No I'm not,” she replied as she pulled out her tongue at him.

The door opened. All their eyes turned red and black as they turned toward it. No one was supposed to join them, by now. Shikorae was sleeping already, Souta was working, as was Itori.

Donato froze. Uta glanced at him, as his eyes were turning back to this cold blue, almost gray.

The figure in front of them was a tall man, black haired, hiding most of his face in a hooded cloth. They could see part of his hand, apparently made from kagune material, judging by its look. It only had three fingers.

Without moving from his chair, Donato grabbed a glass and a bottle of water. He drank a whole glass before turning to Uta. “Cut it out.”

Under his bangs, the mask-maker smiled.

“What?” exclaimed Roma. “What do you mean by that? Isn't that Aogiri's Floppy?”

“It is,” confirmed Nico. He frowned. What was Floppy doing here? He was much too noticeable to go out in the open like this. And while the rumor said that he performed cannibalism, it was very unlikely to go up against the Clowns. He wouldn't stand the shadow of a chance. Apart from maybe the One-Eyed Owl, they were the most powerful ghouls around, especially when they fought together.

“I've been training to make clones like Dona-san does,” explained Uta as Floppy disintegrated. “I think I'm getting the hang of it.”

“It was impressive, indeed,” complimented Nico. “Even the smell was convincing, you fooled me.”

“The smell was the trickiest part,” admitted Uta. “I'm glad I somewhat managed it!”

“But how come you weren't fooled?” asked Roma while turning to Donato, who was drinking another glass of water. “I thought it was real too. You're getting really good at this, Uta!”

“Thank you, Roma.”

“Simple,” said Donato as he was putting the glass back on the table with a smirk. “Floppy is dead. I killed him myself.”

“Is that so? How come I didn't know? Aah, why don't you ever say anything to me? It's not fair!” Roma kept on complaining to Donato about how he should be telling her what he's been doing. Donato efficiently ignored her and ate some eyes from Itori's jar. Nico was reapplying lipstick, listening to Roma rant again. When he was done, he took her by the shoulder and pushed her toward the door.

“How about we get some fun, tonight, hm, Roma?” He smiled to Donato as they exited the backroom, to which Donato answered by his usual grin and a nod.

That left Uta and Donato alone in the room, both of them drinking silently until they couldn't hear their friends' footsteps anymore. They had sharp ears.

“You shouldn't be drinking that much water,” said Uta as flatly as it was possible to say something.

“Oh really?” ironized Donato without even looking up at him.

“Hm. If you don't want to drink wine, I could introduce you to my friend Renji-kun. He makes the best coffee.”

“The one that used to work for Yoshimura?”

“Yes.”

“Coffee isn't bad, but water is still better.”

Uta rolled his eyes. “You're so old school!”

“I'm over a hundred years old, what did you expect?”

Uta chuckled. “Still, when you said you weren't sentimental, I almost believed you, you know.”

“I'm not.”

“So you say.”

He took a sip from his glass of blood-wine. He took an eye in the jar and looked at it for a while before resuming talking. “You should've just seen your face when you saw the clone. Or even earlier when I said I had seen him. You can't hide how much you actually hurt.”

Donato didn't say a word in response but his smile was a little tense. Uta could see it.

“You liked him that much?”

“He was my masterpiece.” Donato started to laugh. Softly at first then harshly. The smile on his face was so large Uta could see the perfect white of his teeth, that he knew to be sharp enough to tear apart anyone. “Truly a masterpiece,” he added after calming down a bit.

He could laugh as much as he wanted, it didn't make a difference to Uta. He could see that it was just enough to drown the sobs forming in his throat. Uta was the same. If he ever came to defeat Renji for good, he too would laugh not to cry. It was better to cry from laughing than from actual pain.

Once you cry, it just becomes too real.

And Donato's pride was too big to ever admit he actually cared about someone. Uta knew it. He could see it. It was too easy to see through people.

They were all clearer than water.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> If you notice any mistake, please tell me so I can improve! ^w^


End file.
